Landlord's rejection of newcomer's rental application for lack of Canadian credit and rental history constituted discrimination.
The complainant, a newcomer to Canada from Bangladesh, alleged discrimination on the basis of citizenship and place of origin after his rental application was rejected by the respondent landlord.
The landlord rejected the application because the complainant lacked a credit rating, landlord references, and sufficient employment history in Canada, despite having substantial savings.
The Board found that the landlord's tenant selection criteria disparately impacted newcomers and constituted prima facie discrimination under the Human Rights Code.
The Board further held that recent legislative amendments regarding permissible business practices for landlords did not permit the use of criteria that demonstrably disadvantage groups identified by prohibited grounds.
The landlord was ordered to pay $5,000 in general damages and to cease and desist from rejecting tenancy applications from newcomers based on a lack of Canadian credit, employment, or rental history, or failure to meet minimum income criteria.
Ontario Human Rights Commission and Aslam Ahmed v. 177061 Canada Ltd. o/a Shelter Canadian Properties Limited, 2002 CanLII 46504
